Alumni Day 2015 - Language and Computers

Brian Kernighan *69, Professor of Computer Science asks says when we try to tell a computer what to do, we are writing in a language, artificial to be sure, but with grammar, semantics, and plenty of ways in which we can fail to communicate. He asks what can we do to make better languages, where communication is more expressive, reliable and foolproof? And how do we teach people to use such languages, and use them well? Presented as part of the "Academic Intersections: Princeton on Language" event on the occassion of the 100th Anniversary of Alumni Day.